Our friend Stephannie Tallent designed another winner with the Merced Cowl. This cowl actually came out last year, and we have been sending it out on our custom trunk shows for Cumbria Worsted ever since. Usually, we get to see Stephannie at TNNA, but sadly we had to sit this January's show out. We thought it would be a great opportunity to revisit this knitter favorite! She gets right to the fun stuff with this one. No ribbing, just cast on and jump right in!

The effect is a cowl that's both classic and decidedly modern. Cumbria is a great yarn for texture - it's strong with a 3-plied structure that makes cables pop. The resulting fabric is light but warm with a crisp hand that isn't crunchy.

This cowl is a great example of personal, fun knitting and now that winter has set in, knitting for fun as well as warmth is the way to go. The Merced Cowl takes one skein of Cumbria and is shown above in Appleby Castle. I think it would look dreamy in Windermere, fantastic in Buttermere and perfectly luxurious in Castlerigg.

You can buy the Merced Cowl on Ravelry. Be sure to check our stockist page to find the nearest LYS who carries The Fibre Co yarns. I'll be casting on this weekend but I'm going to have trouble choosing which shade of Cumbria I will use. Which color would you knit it in? Let us know in the comments, and we'll choose one lucky winner to receive a skein of Cumbria in the color of their choice! We'll announce a winner on Friday at 4pm at the bottom of this post!